It’s amazing how much wind was taken out of the Boston Bruins’ draft before it even began.
When the Bruins dealt two of their cornerstone franchise types in Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic, it seemed like the Hub’s hockey world was set ablaze, and just hours before the draft. And while the news made your knees buckle, the night went on with the B’s making those three selections, followed by another seven selections from rounds two through seven on Saturday morning. These guys, understandably so, were buried by the news of both Hamilton and Lucic’s departures.
But what’s done is done, and the Bruins carried on.
With their first pick in the draft (13th overall), Boston nabbed Czech defender Jakub Zboril. It was the easy, go-to pick for the Bruins after defensemen Noah Hanifin (Carolina, 5th overall), Ivan Provorov (Philadelphia, 7th overall), and Zach Werenski (Columbus, 8th overall) went off the board. Interestingly enough, the Bruins never interviewed Hanifin prior to the draft, but they undoubtedly made a concerted effort to try and move up to nab Werenski (or one of these guys).
In his first season on North American ice, Zboril recorded 13 goals and 33 points in 44 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs (QJMHL) this past season. The 6-foot-1 defender also recorded four goals and six points in five games for the Czech Republic at the Hlinka Memorial Tournament earlier this year. A steady-yet-energetic presence in all three zones, Zboril has drawn comparisons to Keith Yandle, and is far from a bad consolation prize from those that missed out on Hanifin, Provorov, and Werenski.
“Zboril is a two-way guy,” Sweeney noted. “He’s got skating ability, but he’s a first pass guy, and I think that is so important now. For guys that can go back, identify [the play] as early as possible.
“He’s got that new wave of what’s successful as a defenseman in the National Hockey League.”
A native of Brno, Czech Republic, Zboril’s selection made it two straight first-round Czechs selected by the Bruins (the club took David Pastrnak with the 25th overall pick last season).
At No. 14, the B’s grabbed Jake DeBrusk. The left-winger, though slated to be a late first-round choice, was high on the B’s list from the start. Tallying 42 goals and 81 points in 72 games for the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League this past season, DeBrusk impressed the Bruins with his work ethic and ability to grind plays out along the boards along with scoring goals. DeBrusk is also the son of former NHLer Louie DeBrusk, an enforcer that skated in over 400 games at the NHL level, and was even coached by Claude Julien in Hamilton in 2001-02.
With the 15th overall pick, the Bruins went a bit off the board (or way, if you ask some) and selected right-winger Zachary Senyshyn. At 6-foot-1 and nearly 200 pounds as an 18-year-old, the Bruins believe that they have a gem that was simply hidden by logging fourth-line minutes on a loaded Sault St. Marie Greyhounds squad. The pick was initially hammered by most -- understandably so with Senyshyn’s original projection (the second round) coupled with the B’s possessing three second-round choices -- but it sounds as if both the Oilers and Maple Leafs were looking at Senyshyn as a potential sleeper pick in round one, hence why they opted to trade out of those spots. Finishing this past season with 26 goals and 45 points in 66 games for the Greyhounds this season, some believe that the Nepean, Ont. native could challenge for the Ontario Hockey League scoring title next season.
On day two, the B’s second-round began with towering defenseman Brandon Carlo selected by the Black and Gold at 37th overall. At 6-foot-5, Carlo brings a potent mixture of size and skill to the blue line, and comes to the Boston organization on the heels of a four-goal, 25-point season for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League (63 games). Carlo has a natural competitive edge to his name, too, and even sported an ‘A’ for the Americans this past season. While it’s easy to fall in love with intangibles (and the Bruins do), size is something you can’t teach, and Carlo has it.
At 45th overall, the Bruins selected Swedish center Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson. A 6-foot-1 centerman that’s spent his last two seasons with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL, Forsbacka-Karlsson is not only a mouthful, but has drawn comparisons to Patrice Bergeron for his faceoff prowess. (Ironically, Bergeron was drafted by the Bruins with, you guessed it, the 45th overall pick.) An excellent passer, Forsbacka-Karlsson recorded 26 goals and 86 points in just 110 games during his two-year tenure with the Lancers. He’ll be in Boston’s backyard, too, as he is a Boston University commit.
A busy second round for the Bruins concluded with the 52nd overall pick, Jeremy Lauzon. As was the case for almost all B’s defenders picked, Lauzon is yet another two-way blue-liner known for a clean first pass, and comes to the B’s organization with a responsible own-zone game to his name, too. Another left shot added to the Boston prospect pool, the 6-foot-2 Lauzon recorded 15 goals and 36 points along with 88 minutes in penalties for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QJMHL) this season.
In round three, the Bruins went with Czech goaltender Daniel Vladar. Given the wealth of goaltenders in the B’s system, Vladar’s age (17) obviously projects the long-term scope the Bruins have with this pick (a minor and a goalie? Let’s see if anybody sees this kid before he’s 21). Vladar stands in the crease at a big 6-foot-5, and posted a 1.97 goals against average and .933 save percentage in eight games for HC Kladno (Czech2) last season. He’s a Chicago Steel (USHL) commit.
Boston added some snarl to their pipeline with their fourth-round selection of WHL agitator Jesse Gabrielle, a 5-foot-11 winger that lists Brad Marchand as his favorite NHL player. No stranger to post-whistle jawing, shoving and the occasional bad penalty (sounds familiar), Gabrielle split his 2014-15 season between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Regina Pats, recording 23 goals and 44 points and 112 penalty minutes. Like Marchand, it would appear that Gabrielle has a flare for the bigger stage, too, with four goals and 10 points in 18 playoff games throughout his WHL career.
After sitting the fifth round out, the Bruins selected Cameron Hughes with their lone sixth-round selection (165th overall). A freshman at the University of Wisconsin this past season, Hughes recorded three goals and 13 points in 35 games, and gave a brief insight to his style.
“I like to think of myself as a two-way forward — a player that can make plays in all three zones and is reliable in the D-zone but likes to create a lot of plays in the offensive zone,” Hughes said when asked to describe his style of play. “I’m probably a pass-first guy, but I’m not afraid to throw the puck on net either, so I try to do a little bit of everything and kind of try to be a complete player.
“I think down the road — I got a lot of work, obviously to do — the road is long, but I think I could play in a Bruins style, and that would probably be one of the coolest things in the world, too,” Hughes continued. “So a lot of work to go yet, but definitely a team that I think I can mold into.”
And finally, with their 10th and final pick of the day, the B’s nabbed Jack Becker in the seventh round (195th overall). A 6-foot-3 center, Becker has committed to the University of Wisconsin, and got a sample of the USHL this past season with a two-game run with the Sioux Falls Stampede.
“It was a lot of fun. The guys there are really skilled, and I think it’s a great development league for me to develop my skills against better competition,” Becker admitted of the USHL. “In the two games I played there, I thought I fit in well, and this year, I’m looking to make an impact there.”
Becker describes himself as a power-forward type, and an easy fit with the Black and Gold’s philosophy.
“The Bruins play hard and I just think I can fit in with any team, and especially the Bruins,” Becker said. “Everyone needs a power forward type guy, and I think I can be that guy for the Bruins.”
This was a huge draft for the Bruins. At least in terms of the bodies drafted. It was their first 10-pick draft since 2003 -- the Bruins nabbed NHL regulars Mark Stuart, Patrice Bergeron, and Nate Thompson that year -- and came with a variety. Their first round was historic, too, as the Bruins became the first team in the modern era (since 1970) to have three draft picks in a row. Overall, the B’s drafted six forwards (three centers, two left wingers, and a right winger), three defensemen, and one goaltender. Nationality wise, the Bruins continued to remain a mainly Canadian club, with five of their 10 picks hailing from the Great White North, along with two Czechs, two Americans, and a singular Swede.
Which of the B's 10 draft picks was your favorite?
Ty Anderson has been covering the Boston Bruins for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, is a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter, and can be contacted on Twitter, or emailed at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • 
Join the Discussion:
»